A Thousand Times More
by Angelrain32515
Summary: The same story. I simply took some advice I found in a review and edited it so that it hopefully is easier to read.


Author Notes: This is set in a completely different time. I hope it is easier to read than some of my other works. Um.oh.um please reply. Try and take a guess as to who this stranger is. If you get it correct I'll  
mention it in the next coming chapters.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Ronins, Mia, Warlords, Yulie or Lady Kayura. Any characters that you have never heard of before belong to me.  
  
Chapter I  
  
The stranger walked through the abandon streets, the rain pouring down upon him. The cloak he wore didn't help keep him warm and dry, but it did do the one thing that he wanted the most, it kept his face hidden. Though his mind was on other things, he continued to walk towards the direction of the Coral Reef Pub, the only place that would have a decent meal at all.  
  
He reached the pub soon, not that you could tell that it was even inhabited. The once green painted building was now dirty and brown, the paint already mostly peeled off. The once beautifully painted sign hung by one side, slangs were written all over it. The windows were mostly boarded up and the door was now just apiece of old torn sail.  
  
Entering it, the stranger sat down at a small cracked table. There weren't many people there, only 5. Yet as the stranger looked at them he noticed that one was not a regular. For one he did not look like the people of this country, even though there were not many left. He wore a stained red tunic, and black trousers. His boots were well worn and were once the color of a bright black. His shoulder length hair was tied up and his bright blue eyes shown with happiness, even in the gloomy surroundings he was in.  
  
Looking around him he notice something even more alarming, laying at the feet of his feet, a large white tiger slept. The stranger was now definitely intrigued about this newcomer. He was apparently new to this place, why the stranger didn't now, but was determine to find out somehow.  
  
The daughter of the owner soon came over to the stranger and asked what he would have. The stranger orders a nice meal, for he was famished with hunger after his long journey. After his meal arrived, he ate and continued to stare at this newcomer with interest.  
  
The man with the tiger notice the stranger, not that he could see his face, in fact he couldn't see anything but the dark brown cloak he wore. As the bartender came by he asked him if he had a moment. The bartender shook his head yes, and after putting away the pegs of ale in his hands he came back the man.  
  
"Yes?" the bartender, asked as he wiped his hands with his stained apron. "That stranger over there," the man said nodding his head towards him, "do you know what his name is?"  
  
The bartender looked towards the direction the man had nodded and replied, "He's been coming here since the war ended, never shown his face or speaks much, but is a good customer just the same. We've given him a name though, we call him Storm, for it seems whenever he shows up here it is storming somehow." With that the bartender left to the back of the room.  
  
After some time had past the stranger left the pub, his money laying on the table for his meal. The man sighed and soon him self stood up to leave as well. "Come on buddy, time to go." He said softly to the tiger.  
  
The tiger awoke and stood up stretching. The man laughed and walked toward the door, where he was going he had no idea. Soon he was almost at the entrance to the harbor, and so he began to walk back the way he had just come. It was darker, and the wind was picking up. The rain had never fully stopped and it seemed that it would most likely start going harder. The young man and the tiger decided to return to the pub and ask the bartender if they could retire there for the night.  
  
They hadn't made it too far back when the man was struck down. Picking himself up he shook his head and attempted to find his assailant. The only thing that was visible in the darkness was.. darkness. Not a sound was heard, a glimpse seen. Looking around in the depths of blackness, his mind was so concentrated on finding the attacker that he failed to notice the sounds of footsteps behind him. At the last moment, the large white tiger roared a warning to his master, but it came to soon. The man turned, prepared for his end when a throwing star impelled into the assaulter's throat. A split second later he landed on the ground, all signs of life were gone.  
  
By now the sun was just getting ready to come up, the clouds of the unfortunate rain had vanished. Looking to his left, he saw the stranger from the pub make his way towards the body. The stranger spoke no words, simply kneeled down and grabbed the star from the corpse. The newcomer looked at the cloak figure questionably, wondering if he should trust the man or not.  
  
The stranger simply wiped off the blood with his cloak and started to walk off. Not 3 feet from the newcomer, this so call Storm turned at finally spoke. "Well are you coming? The heat during the day is crucial." All the newcomer could do was nod his head yes and then began to follow Storm.  
  
Half an hour later, they were seated in a shaded section of the other side of the city. The young man stared at 'Storm', asking himself again and again if he should ask who he really was. Finally not being able to take the silence any longer, he opened his mouth and..  
  
Storm simply stated, "I suppose you want to know who I really am." The man simply nodded and Storm continued, "I'm curious myself to know who you are, so how about this? You tell me your name and I'll tell you mine." Nodding the man said, "My name is Sanada Ryo, I'm from the volcanic islands of Delu. My companion is White Blaze. You are?"  
  
The cloaked mystery reply with a short answer. "Storm." Ryo cursed himself in his mind.  
  
He should of known he would answer with that. "I know your called Storm, but I wanted to know your real name, why your always hiding your face from the world."  
  
Storm moved his head to look at him and said, "Only my friends know who I really am. I don't have any friends so the only one that does know my name is myself. The day you'll find out about my and my life, is the day that you die. I don't trust anyone with my idenity and that goes as a warning for you."  
  
Standing up Storm began to make his way back to the main part of the city. Ryo stood up and began to follow him. "Where are you going?" he asked, not turning Storm said, "Not that it's your business, I'm meeting a man about a ship."  
  
Ryo took in the information and then asked, "We're do you plan to go?" Storm stopped and turned this time and replied, "Where I intend to go is no of your business."  
  
Ryo obviously didn't take the hint that Storm was brushing him off, because Ryo next asked, "So why you leaving Kelidah?"  
  
Storm's teeth gritted together in the shadow of his hood. "Don't you have somewhere else to be right now?" Storm shot back at him. Ryo smirked and answered with a no.  
  
It wasn't very long before Ryo questioned him again, "So, since you don't have many friends I guess your going to sail this ship yourself?"  
  
Not getting a response from Storm Ryo continued, "You know I know a few things about boats, I bet if you want, we could help each other out. It's obvious that your not going to tell me where your going, so how about I help you out with managing the ship and you take me back to Delu."  
  
By this time they had made it to the harbor and Storm stopped. Not noticing this, Ryo ran right into his back.  
  
Storm turned toward Ryo and said, "I don't like being around people much, so why would I want you to accompany me. If you want to go back to Delu, go the way you came."  
  
With that Storm left. Ryo looked down at White Blaze who had followed him, "Man, he sure is grumpy huh boy?" 


End file.
